NSLocalizedString not defaulting to Base language

Question

I have the following problem with a small iOS 7 project on which I'm testing the localisation capabilities.

• I have a default project, with one VC, in which I have one button in the middle of the scene
• in my VC I have an IBOutlet to my button called myButton
• in the viewDidLoad method of the VC I am setting the buttons's title:

    NSString *title = NSLocalizedString(@"MY_BUTTON", @"My comment for my button");
    [self.myButton setTitle:title forState:UIControlStateNormal];

• I generated the Localizable.strings file end enabled it for localization for the following languages: Base, Dutch
• the contents of each file are as follows:

/* My comment for my button */ "MY_BUTTON" = "My [VALUE] Button"; where VALUE = Base, Dutch; so the labels should be My Base Button & My Dutch Button

Problem: If I launch my app using the simulator's language as Dutch, the label is (as expected) "My Dutch Button". If I launch it in English, the label is "My Base Button" (kind of ok…)

However, if I launch it with the phone's language set to French, and I previously had it set to Dutch, the label of the button does not default to Base, and instead displays again "My Dutch Button"

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks

Answer 1

the order of default languages is a user setting on OSX and not editable (AFAIK) on iOS
BUT still adhered to!

the app is passed the array AppleLanguages (or so..) that specifies the languages to try. The NSLocalizedString macro will try load each language in the array in the order they appear UNTIL it finds a working one and then it uses that

compare: How to force NSLocalizedString to use a specific language

Answer 2

I have created the following class, which supports a fallback to a customizable language. In my case I use Base.lproj as file for my default language contents.

StringUtilities.h

@interface StringUtils : NSObject

#define GetLocalizedString(key) [StringUtils getLocalizedString:key comment:nil]
//#define GetLocalizedString(key,comment) [StringUtils getLocalizedString:key comment:comment]


+ (NSString*) getLocalizedString:(NSString*)key comment:(NSString*)comment;

@end

StringUtilities.m

#import "StringUtilities.h"

@implementation StringUtils


//Returns a localized string, with fallback to version of Base
+ (NSString*) getLocalizedString:(NSString*)key comment:(NSString*)comment {
    NSString* localizedString = NSLocalizedString(key, nil);

    //use base language if current language setting on device does not find a proper value
    if([localizedString isEqualToString:key]) {

        NSString * path = [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource:@"Base" ofType:@"lproj"];
        NSBundle * bundle = nil;
        if(path == nil){
            bundle = [NSBundle mainBundle];
        }else{
            bundle = [NSBundle bundleWithPath:path];
        }
        localizedString = [bundle localizedStringForKey:key value:comment table:nil];
    }
    return localizedString;
}

@end

How to use

Import the header file and use the GetLocalizedString macro instead of NSLocalizedString macro.

#import "StringUtilities.h"

NSString* str = GetLocalizedString(@"your.text.key");

Answer 3

I have an equivalent in Swift:

public func LS(_ key: String) -> String {
    let value = NSLocalizedString(key, comment: "")
    if value != key || NSLocale.preferredLanguages.first == "en" {
        return value
    }

    // Fall back to en
    guard
        let path = Bundle.main.path(forResource: "en", ofType: "lproj"),
        let bundle = Bundle(path: path)
        else { return value }
    return NSLocalizedString(key, bundle: bundle, comment: "")
}

Answer 4

Using Dirk's answer here is the Swift equivalent implemented as a computed property in a String extension:

extension String {

var localized: String {

    var localizedString = NSLocalizedString(self, comment: "")

    // If a localized string was found then return it.
    // This check is based on the fact that if no localized string
    // exists then NSLocalized() returns the key itself.
    if self != localizedString {
        return localizedString
    }

    // No localized string exists.  Retrieve the display string
    // from the base strings file.
    var bundleForString: Bundle
    if let path = Bundle.main.path(forResource: "Base", ofType: "lproj"),
        let bundle = Bundle(path: path) {
        bundleForString = bundle
    } else {
        bundleForString = Bundle.main
    }

    localizedString = bundleForString.localizedString(forKey: self, value: self, table: nil)

    return localizedString
}

}